Briefing – Helping under-represented students succeed in higher education

08 July 2024

Educational inequality comes at a cost to both individuals and the country. For our economy and society to thrive in future, we need to draw on all the diverse talent available to the UK. In collaboration with schools, colleges and other partners, universities have a key role to play in helping to tackle educational inequalities, removing obstacles to success in higher education and conducting research to inform impactful policies which can make a real difference.

The number of young students from the most under-represented areas studying at Russell Group universities is growing, with a 35% increase since 2019. This is the fastest-growing demographic at our universities which has narrowed the gap between the least and most represented students over time.

Under-represented students at Russell Group universities often perform better than the most represented students at non-Russell Group universities, and comfortably above the quality thresholds set by the Office for Students (OfS) for continuation and completion.

The new government has set out a mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and research-intensive universities have a key role to play in delivering this agenda. Building on our extensive collaborative work with schools, colleges and charities, we look forward to working with the government to help address educational inequality and improve life chances for young and adult learners across the UK.

Find out more in our briefing.